Falling Through The Cracks
by PoisnousPixie
Summary: His life was easy to start. He was as normal as he could have been, and happy. Even when his parents died, things weren't as bad as they could have been. But, that all changed when he turned out to be an omega. Even running away couldn't undo the damage. Omegaverse.
1. Dec, 2001 - Jan, 2002

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Note: **This is an omegaverse fanfic- however there will be no sex in it. I'm quite horrible at writing smut. But, it will have adult themes, and sexual undertones (naturally). As with all omegaverse fanfiction, this may differ from other fics in the way the verse is handled, if you have any questions, feel free to PM me, or ask in reviews.

I'll try and put warnings in each chapter for what's going on. Also: OCs are all minor characters, they add to the effect, but the main character **is** Gilbert, and his state of being.

**Warnings in general:** Mental/emotional/physical/drug abuse, sexual harassment, dark themes, and _**omegaverse**_. OCs.

**Warnings for this chapter**: Heat cycle, nesting, and the starting of the abuse cycle. OCs.

* * *

**Dec. 2001 - Jan. 2002  
**

There were only two secluded rooms that Gilbert knew of in the Edelstein house. The small room in the back of the house that no one but Aunt Konnie used when he went into heat- a nesting room was a common thing that most real houses had. Aunt Konnie went into it twice a year, for his heat cycle, and then only Uncle Bastian could enter- but he never stayed for very long.

(The lady next door said it was cause Aunt Konnie wasn't 'fertile', that his heats hit him oddly, and made him far more irritable and angry then a normal omega, so he kicked Uncle Bastian out.)

And then there was the crawlspace under the house. At the age of 13, Gilbert and Ludwig, only 11, were able to just squeeze in there together, and neither could stand up fully. But they weren't supposed to play in the crawlspace, and the only time they'd been down there, Aunt Konnie had caught them, and both had been punished.

The rest of the house was really quite open and airy. It was a great place to live, Gilbert thought, but a few weeks before his 13th birthday he began to feel almost afraid of those big open rooms. He'd never had the problem before, but it felt almost like someone was going to come out of nowhere and attack him. He started snapping at everyone- his brother included.

Gilbert had never in his life snapped at Ludwig before. The two had always been exceptionally close.

And then one day, his Uncle mentioned it. As Gilbert was hidden beneath the small space under his bed, with a blanket pulled tight around him.

"He's going into heat."

And just like that, the whole world spun on it's axis. He wouldn't realize quite how much his world had come to change until after his heat would pass, though. Those two weeks were the worst he'd ever imagined in his life.

They tried to set him up in the nesting room. It was designated for omegas in a single family to use, the plan was to leave him in there and wait it all out. But even as his Aunt and Uncle supplied the room with all the things it needed, the blankets, pillows, cushions, toys (which he didn't want to think about at all), the body pillow that was sprayed with an artificial scent to smell like an Alpha, the food and water... it just didn't feel right.

It wasn't **his **space.

It was Aunt Konnie's space.

It was **wrong**.

So, eventually, Gilbert stopped letting them into the room. Told them he didn't want them to see his nest, and they took it at face value.

And slowly, he began to move things. He was careful, and did it as quickly as he could.

The pillows and blankets first. Arranging them in the crawlspace so they padded the floor and the walls as best they could, until the space was more like a crib or padded cell- until it didn't matter what way he laid, he would be warm and safe, and cozy. Then the food and water, he tucked carefully into the corner, all lined up with labels out, and the body pillow that he laid out as far from it as possible, not sure if he wanted it at all.

The toys came last.

At first he brought books, and notebooks, and pens, things to keep him occupied just in case. Just to keep putting off the toys. But eventually he had to bring them too. They looked weird to him. Oddly shaped, and even though they were new, bought just for him, he couldn't help feeling somewhat disgusted as he packed them in a bag and took them down to his space.

**His **space.

Just the thought caused a pleased warm feeling to spread through him.

The first day his heat hit him, he wasn't sure what it was. Aunt Konnie had to take Ludwig to the doctor- he had a fever that refused to get better and they all feared it would turn out like the case of pneumonia Gilbert had suffered from a few years prior, and Uncle Bastian had been called into work for an emergency. So, Gilbert, not fully aware of what was about to hit him, had spent the first hour home alone laid out on the couch with his focus on a rather gory and bloody video game. It was the hot feeling that had gotten to him first.

The house was always kept just below stiflingly warm when winter came around. Aunt Konnie was always worried Gilbert would get sick, and since he really didn't like the cold, he never complained. But it felt ridiculously warm, and Gilbert slowly took to pulling his shirt further up, until he'd discarded it completely. Soon, it was too hot to focus on his game, and all he could do was lay on the couch and swelter, glaring at the pause screen.

Finally, feeling hot, and sticky, and not liking the uncomfortable way the couch felt against his skin, or his jeans for that matter, Gilbert left the too big living room, and slipped out the back door.

London didn't get snowy winters like he would have liked. Not like the ones he missed back in Berlin, but this year it had snowed. White covered every surface, almost up to his knees, and when even just the cold air didn't help, he moved and dropped down into the snow. The immediate shift in temperature finally lessened his discomfort, and he relaxed into the icy cold snow.

Aunt Konnie found him there half an hour later, his lips tinged blue, and the snow melting around him. Furious, the older omega had pulled Gilbert forcibly up out of the snow, and dragged him into the house, yelling in rapid and harsh German. The touch hurt, burning fingers digging into his arm, and his shorter legs just couldn't keep up with Aunt Konnie, who was tall and thin, and quick. Almost banging into walls, and tripping on the stairs, Gilbert finally was pushed into the nesting room he'd left barren, and the door shut tight behind him.

Alone, in an empty room, the heat came back. This time followed by an odd sensation that made him press back against the wall, and clench his legs, and squeeze his eyes shut. Even in such a small room, he felt unsafe, vulnerable, and panicked, but Gilbert was nothing if not resourceful, and when he was certain- absolutely certain- that Aunt Konnie had disappeared back down to the kitchen where he'd likely stay, Gilbert slipped through the door.

There wasn't a lock on the outside, an unusual thing on the nesting rooms used for new omegas like himself- but everyone had assumed Gilbert would be an Alpha, and Uncle Bastian was mated, the lock had long been removed. He had to be quick, and he had to be quiet. As skittish as he was, what would have normally taken just a few minutes took nearly twenty, for every corner had to be peeked around, and double checked, and his senses went wild at every sound no matter how quiet, until finally, he made it to the space he'd made himself.

In his little nest, hidden beneath the rest of the house, isolated, with only a very small and flickering light over him, Gilbert finally felt safe enough to relax. He would spend a week there, alone, with his face pressed against the scented pillow, curled around it, only still when he slept, and only clear headed for short periods between when the heat got the best of him and he was forced to use the toys he'd been so unwilling to even look at before.

When the week ended, and he woke up feeling grimy and claustrophobic instead of safe and protected in his nest, he left. Everyone was panicked, his brother had gone to check on him at some point, apparently, and found the nesting room empty. Though his uncle had been able to track him by smell alone, they had stilled worried.

In the weeks after his heat, Gilbert began to notice the changes. They were subtle at first, but always made his mind flicker back to being pulled out of the snow and dragged into the house. Of the cold way his Aunt had handled him.

For surely, Aunt Konnie was twice as cold now. More then the snow could have ever been. His eyes didn't hold the warmth they had just weeks before, and he refused to make contact. If Gilbert entered the room Uncle Bastian was in, Aunt Konnie was sure to join them in moments, always moving between the two.

Soon enough, it wasn't so subtle. He found himself being pushed into walls, or shoved out of the way, dismissed from the table before meals were finished, and sent to his room for the slightest of offenses. When he was spoken to, Aunt Konnie's tone was harsh and mean, and Uncle Bastian's was hesitant and unsure.

His second family (the only family he had after his parents deaths) had begun to unravel.


	2. Jan, 2002 - Apr, 2002

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Warnings in general:**Mental/emotional/physical/drug abuse, sexual harassment, dark themes, and omegaverse. OCs.

**Warnings for this chapter:** Verbal, physical abuse.

**Chapter Summary:** Ludwig turns out to be an Alpha.

* * *

**Jan, 2002 - Apr. 2002  
**

Being an Alpha was something no one could have been surprised about when they met Ludwig. He had given off a lot of the hints. He was the take charge type of kid, stepping in and making sure things went the way they were supposed to. Ludwig was a typical Alpha child, but most importantly- he was one with excellent control. Even though an omega in his class at school had gone into heat unexpectedly (causing four students to find out they were alphas), of the alphas in his class, Ludwig was the only one to linger back, and not rush to try and get close.

Gilbert wasn't sure of what it meant, he didn't even know until he came home to find Ludwig sitting at the kitchen table, Aunt Konnie hovering, and Uncle Bastian standing in the corner of the room, looking as intimidating as possible.

Still unsure about the things going in his life, battered and bruised from the constant pushing from his Aunt, and feeling rather ambushed by the kids at school and their nasty words, Gilbert ignored the oddness of the situation, and ran for the stairs. He would hole up, and work on his homework, and hopefully Ludwig would tell him what had happened when he came to go to bed.

But what happened was a bit different. Ludwig did come up to the room, but Uncle Bastian lingered in the doorway, and when Ludwig entered, Gilbert could **smell **the change. Could feel it as soon as his brother was near. He knew instantly, the rules had shifted again.

And he was alone on the bottom.

Ludwig gathered his things and was moved to what was supposed to be a guest room. Soon, Aunt Konnie didn't move between just Uncle Bastian and Gilbert, but between the brothers as well, and Uncle Bastian was never far from where Aunt Konnie was. It was a mess of pulling rank and shoving dominance. There was talk of military school for Ludwig, pamphlets and whispered words, but nothing more.

Gilbert grew used to being shoved and pushed. He withdrew into himself, and it wasn't until Ludwig stood up for him that things got so bad he couldn't hide from it anymore. Aunt Konnie seemed wrapped around Ludwig's finger and when he began to defend Gilbert, the shortened meals and pushing stopped.

But the abuse turned, it shifted into whispered words, off-handed comments that cut through to the bone better then any bruise could have hurt.

"_Defective_," Was Aunt Konnie's favorite word when talking to Gilbert. "What Alpha could possibly want a defective omega like you? You're a genetic trash bin. Weak and half-blind, you're useless. No good at all."

Gilbert never said anything about it to Ludwig. Never complained, never mentioned it to anyone. The few inquires that had been made on his behalf at school had stopped completely when his bruises faded. He bottled up his anger, all the hurt, and fear and continued on. Some days he hardly spoke at all, other's he wouldn't speak in English, but he put on a smile and a happy facade for his brother,who was treated so nicely.

Because he was the older brother. It was his job to make sure Ludwig was safe, and okay, and how could he do that if he made Ludwig worry? Gilbert had always been weaker then Ludwig, his poor eyesight gave him trouble, and he was more prone to getting sick. But this, this he could protect Ludwig from. From knowing that the family they'd found, the safety they'd both had was just a joke.

One night Gilbert slipped into Ludwig's room. A few of the kids at school had begun to pick at him, saying the same things his Aunt had been feeding him, and when he'd gotten home the sting was worse. All he wanted was a bit of comfort. Just to be near Ludwig and try and remember that no matter how bad things got, he still had someone who cared.

Ludwig hadn't thought much of it, let his brother come in and sit down on his bed, and the two sat in an almost comfortable silence as he finished his homework, and Gilbert picked at the comforter. Eventually, they moved to sleeping, Ludwig laid on the bed, and Gilbert curled at his side almost like when they'd been much younger. In the nights after their parents death, when they'd first moved here, Gilbert had been the one to offer strength. He'd been strong, and unshakable, or so it had seemed to Ludwig, who'd been so much smaller at the time. But now it felt as if it was his turn to offer strength.

Sadly, it was not long before their Aunt and Uncle found them like that, curled under the covers, and dragged the two apart. Aunt Konnie pulled Gilbert back to his room, and for the first time, locked his bedroom door, while Uncle Bastian stayed behind, talking in hushed, aggravated tones with Ludwig. His door was locked as well.

The next morning was tense, and painful. While Uncle Bastian had gone to work, and Aunt Konnie was sure to be as nice as could be, at least to Ludwig, there was an obvious thickness to the air. The boys left feeling unsure, and when it was time to go home, they avoided going back to the house as long as they could, but when it got the dark they headed back. As soon as they were through the door, they were pulled apart.

Ludwig into Uncle Bastian's office, while Aunt Konnie took Gilbert to the kitchen.

Aunt Konnie spoke in hushed words, quiet so there was no chance that anyone else could have possibly heard, and his grip was tight. When he pushed Gilbert at the table, the teenager stumbled and nearly fell, catching himself just barely on the edge of the table.

"It's sick," Aunt Konnie said, with all the disgust he could muster, eyes narrowed and locked on Gilbert, "Your own brother."

"What?" Gilbert was completely bewildered.

"Don't act innocent." Aunt Konnie took a seat at the table, looking for all the world like he was in the right. "Really, making a play for your brother is just pathetic. He's an Alpha now, and a damned good one too. Stop vying for his attention like some kicked puppy, you're just making a fool of yourself and holding him back."

And that was it.

The worst thing that could have been said, and it seeped into Gilbert, and settled. He hadn't intended to do any of that consciously, but his instincts were new, and he didn't really know anything about himself as an omega, what if he'd been subconsciously actually trying to do just that? At his age, Gilbert couldn't be sure what he was doing half the time.

But maybe it was time to split off from Ludwig a bit.


	3. April 12th - July 13th 2002

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

**Warnings in general:**Mental/emotional/physical/drug abuse, sexual harassment, dark themes, and omegaverse. OCs.

**Warnings for this chapter:** Verbal, physical abuse, and mentions of starvtion.

**Chapter Summary:**After being caught packing a bag to run away Gilbert gets in trouble.

* * *

**Apr. 12th, 2002 - July 13th, 2002**

The physical abuse started again soon after they'd been split up. Gilbert, feeling so disgusted with himself, didn't say anything, this time truly believing he deserved it- and Aunt Konnie got more careful about it. The bruises he left could be easily hidden, and he made sure Ludwig was never witness to it. It wasn't that bad at first. Just like before Ludwig had said anything about it the first time.

Progressively, it got worse. Bruises turned into sprains, and nights became a terror, as Aunt Konnie had taken to finding him alone in the dark halls and shoving him, or checking on him late at night ("To make sure you don't make another play for your brother."), and would talk in harsh, hushed words. If Gilbert was asleep, he'd often be woken to hear those words by being pushed out of bed, or if he was 'awake' too late, he'd be punished by not getting breakfast in the morning. He started to fear the dark, staying long hours to sleep only during twilight hours. He started to fall asleep in class and the second time Aunt Konnie was called in to talk to the teacher Gilbert was sent to his room without dinner. This became a normal occurrence. Little offenses cut him off from meals, frequently his bag for lunch was forgotten, or the money for it barely enough to pay for a full meal.

He started saving up the money, hiding it with his school books. He made plans, stole his papers from Uncle Bastion's office, kept a bag packed with clothes under the bed. He practiced stealing from the kids at school- none of them paid attention to him anymore, and he was careful to never take more then would be missed. He figured if he could get to Berlin, he'd be fine. Surely they wouldn't chase him to Berlin.

Aunt Konnie found the bag.

When he came home one day, he was dragged up to his room, his backpack snatched and dumped on the floor. All the money he'd collected and stolen scattered on the floor, evidence that he couldn't have explained away even if he'd not already been sentenced.

"Thief!" Aunt Konnie snarled, dragging him from the bedroom into the hall, "Everything we do for you, and this is how you repay us?!"

Gilbert struggled, dug his feet into the floor, leaned back and tried to twist free, but the hold wouldn't break. When it almost did Aunt Konnie turned to grab him by the hair and jerked him forward. They struggled, Gilbert kicking and lashing out with his free arm, and Aunt Konnie jerking and pulling him. In the end they fell. Gilbert was too close to the edge of the stairs and tumbled down them, Aunt Konnie fell back safely in the upstairs hall.

Ludwig came home in time to hear the scuffle. He rushed towards the stairs to find Gilbert curled at the bottom, his glasses broken a few feet away, and his arm clutched to his chest, twisted in an odd angle.

Ludwig had the phone before Aunt Konnie could even get half way down the stairs. He had no choice or say when the ambulence appeared but to go along. At the hospital, Ludwig and Gilbert sat together while Aunt Konnie spoke to the doctors, explaining that Gilbert had always been a willfull and troublesome child, and his eyesight left him clumsy and prone to accident.

Ludwig told the doctors that Aunt Konnie had been rough with Gilbert in the past.

Gilbert hardly spoke a word, and when he did it was hissed German that barely made it passed his lips.

He was kept at the hospital for a night so they could keep an eye on his concussion, and someone called social services... but Aunt Konnie got to him first, reminding him how hard it would be on Ludwig to be moved now. Ludwig was doing so well in school, he had friends, was well adjusted. It would mess everything up for him to be moved now just because Gilbert had been bad.

So when the social worker spoke to him alone, Gilbert smiled and claimed the fight was an accident. He just slipped.

Gilbert was sent back to the Edelstein house, much to Ludwig's distress. Social workers were stretched thin, and even with the suspicions placed on Gilbert's behavior, they had no place to put such a young omega, especially if he claimed he wasn't being abused and didn't want to leave.

His room was clean when he returned. The money he'd collected was gone, and the only bag he had was the mandatory one for school. His papers were not gone though, they sat safely in his dresser drawer, with a note written in Aunt Konnie's neat and precise handwriting...

_Run, if you think you can make it._

* * *

**Author's notes;** I want to point out that I'm currently without a home computer, and due to the nature of this fic I don't much want to edit it via a library computer. So all the editing/formatting and writing of it are currently being done via my cell phone/wii. So if you spot a mistake in spelling, grammar, or just something stupid, please tell me, and I'll fix it as soon as possible.

Also, since it was mentioned by one of the reviewers, but yes, Konrad (Aunt Konnie) is behaving so for a reason. It won't be explained until much later in the fic why, but this is in no way a regular reaction to a young omega in the household. (I actually have this nice long explination for it, and have spent a great deal of time wondering over it- which is odd since Konrad did start with the main purpose of just being a villian.. XD;)

And last of all, I'd like to give a thank you to everyone who's reviewed, and everyone who's followed/favorited the fic. I'm not use to quite so much attention so quickly, and am trying very hard to keep my updates relatively close together. So, thank you everyone, I appreciate it alot.


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